Card holder



June 13, 1939- c. D. MCCLAUGHRY 2,162,025

CARD HOLDER I Filed May 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

C. D. MCCLAUGHRY CARD HOLDER Filed May 28, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 A TTORNEYS.

June 13, 1939.

Patented June 13, 1939v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARD HOLDER Charles D. McClaughry, Piedmont, Calif.

Application May 28, 1938, Serial No. 210,711

7 Claims.

This invention relates to `card holders, and has for its objects-the provision of a holder adapted to removably support one or several cards and to permit viewing printed matter on such card Vor cards while protecting the 'cards against soilcards to View in a neat frame and from which frame substitution of at least one of the cards may be made to materially venlarge or change the size and shape of the display area oi such card, as may be desired. 'Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and drawings anneXed hereto.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevational View of the card holder in the support with lcards in the holder.

Fig. 2 is a perspective 'view of the 'holder with cards therein, and the holder partially with' drawn from within the support.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, but with the holder fully seated within the support.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational View of the lower portion of the card holder.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4. A

In detail, the support for the card holder comprises a substantially rectangular, normally vertically disposed frame I (Fig. 2) in which the two opposite vertical side frame members and the lower horizontal frame member that connects the lower ends of the side members, are channels, with their open sides facing `toward the center of the frame. The upper side of the frame consists of spaced strips l' extending across between corresponding sides of the side channels thus providing an opening in the top vof the frame, between said strips, for vertically inserting the card holder, generally designated `2, to within the frame with the sides of the side channels overlying opposite sides of the side 'margins of the holder, and when the holder'is 'fully seated within the frame, the sides 'of the lower horizontal channel will 'overlie the Eopposite sides of the lower margin of the holder While the strips l at the top of the holder Will Similarly overlie the opposite sides of the upper margin of the holder. The width of the strips and sides of the channels are preferably, substantially the same, thus providing a substantially uniform sided frame on opposite sides of the holder when the latter is viewed from the side, and the Width of the channels is such as to permit free sliding of the holder to within the irame.

A vertical post 3 is secured at one end to the bottom frame member `and at its opposite end carries a base member 4 adapted to rest on a supporting surface, thus supporting the holder on such surface in a vertical position above the base.

'I'he 'holder 2 comprises substantially rectangular, similar sized sheets 5, 6 of transparent, relatively rigid material, preferably similar to Celluloid rather than of glass, due to the objectionable inherent characteristics of glass, as will become apparent in this description.

Said sheets 5, 6 are offset slightly, Vrelative to each other to provide a margin 5' on sheet 5 projecting beyond a side edge of sheet 6 and at the same time to provide a margin 6 on sheet 6 projecting slightly beyond the side edge of sheet 5 thatY is opposite margin 5, as best indicated in Figs. 4, 5.

Said sheets 5, 6 are secured together in said position, and also spaced apart, by horizontally extending strips l. Strips 'l are vertically spaced apart, the lowermost strip being between the sheets along the lower edges thereof and the strips thereabove being parallel with the lower strip, but the uppermost strip is spaced substantially below the upper edges of the sheets. Also said strips extend at their ends between the outermost side edges of the margins 5', 6 and thus are exposed at their ends at opposite sides of the holder as indicated in Fig. 4, but the strips termnate at one of their ends substantially even with the outer edge of the margin 5 and 3,1-, their opposite ends substantially even with the outer edge of margin 6'.

The side edges of the sheets 5, 6 extending between each of the pairs of strips, are recessed as at 3 to facilitate grasping the ends of cards 9 by the fingers of an operator, and said cards preferably terminate at their opposite ends substantially `even with the outer edges of margins 5', 6 vas seen in Fig. 2.

The strips 1 are preferably slightly greater in thickness than the thickness of cards 9 so :that

the cards may easily be slipped to between the sheets.

It will be noted in Figs. 1, 2, that the upper card 9, in Fig. 2 or card 9 in Fig. l, may be slipped vertically into the space between the sheets above the uppermost strip 1, whereas the cards therebelow must be slipped horizontally and in a direction lengthwise thereof to between the sheets. In Fig. 2, the upper card terminates at its upper edge'substantially even with the upper1 edges of the sheets, and when in the holder, and when the holder isin the frame, the Vupper edge of the holder and upper card do not project above the frame strips I', thus in viewing the assembly from the side, the cards Vwill be fully enclosed by the frame sides.v But the provision for vertically slipping the upper card in position in the holder, permits the upper card to be of some such shape as in Fig. 1, wherein a relatively large card may be supported by the holder and frame with a considerable portion of said card 9' projecting above the frame.

This'is a decided advantage, since ,it enables displaying unusual cards at specialV times, and changing such cards without removing the hold- .er from the frame and without disturbing the other cards in the holder.

The'spacing and connecting strips 1, may be ofV transparent material, the same as the sheets, and are secured in place by cementing or other suitable means, and may be of any desired width and of any desired number, according to ,the

. number of different `cards to be displayed. Also,

- smooth and unobstructed, thus giving a pleasingv it is obvious that said strips may be molded integral with one or the other of the sheets, if

desired. It is important to note, however, that the outer surfaces of the sheets are absolutely appearance and enabling the ready cleaning of said surfaces without obstructions, such as would be caused by rivets or the like, and the holder will readily slip into the supporting frame without resistance or accidental catching of rivet or pin heads.

The cards 9 are preferably slightly rounded at their Vcorners as at Ill, thus substantially elimmating-undesirable bending or fraying of the corners that otherwisewould occur in slippingV ported on one of the strips 'l when the holder is disposed vertically. TheY projecting ends of strips 'I function as guides as well as supports, for the cards inserted into the holders.`

The cards 9 or 9 are preferably printed on both sides and when in the holder, the printing or lettering is readily seen from both sides thereof. Since the sheets of the holder cover the cards, said cards are kept clean, and where tempera colors or the like' are. used for lettering or illustrations, such colors are protected against swudging or injury.

The cards, after being used, may be filed away and used over again as the occasion arises, which is possible, since they are kept clean while in use. 1

It is, of course, obvious that the sheets may be of various colors, with the spacing strips 1 of the same or different colo-rs, which inrmany instances, enhance the appearance of the cards and make an attractive display.

All of the aforesaid advantages are possible, as well as various arrangements and sizes of cards in a holder, all without modifying the holder or supporting frame.

'I'he recesses 8, at the side edges of the card, are of a depth less than the Width of the sides of the side frame members, and are thus concealed from view by said frame members, and the bottoms of the channels forming the sides and bottom of the frame conceal thev edges of the holder as well as preventing any lateral dislodgement of the cards from the holder.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A display card holder comprising a pair of spaced, opposed, substantially similar sized, generally rectangular, sheets of transparent material normally positioned substantially vertical, one of said sheets being slightly offset laterally relative to the other whereby one of the lateral margins of each sheet will project beyond the adjacent lateral edge of the other sheet, means between. the sheets for facilitating their insertion into-said space.

2. In a construction as defined in claim i, said means securing the sheets together comprising an elongated strip of material extending at the opposite outer ends across the outwardly projecting margins o-f the sheets for coactingy with the margins to guide a card to between the sheets.

3. In a construction as defined in claim 1, card supporting means spaced vabove ther means at the lower edges of said sheets adapted to support a card in position thereabove and between said sheets at a point spaced above the lower ends of the sheets, and the space above said card supporting means opening upwardly and out- Wardly for permitting vertical movement of a card to between said sheets.

4. In combination, a substantially rectangular frame formed of lateral, vertical side members and upper and lower horizontal members connecting between the upper and lower ends of` the side members respectively thereby enclosing a rectangular, central open area defined by said members, said side members and said lower members being elongated channels with their open sides facing toward said central area and the upper member comprising spaced strips, separate strips connecting at their opposite ends with the opposite sides of the side channels at the upper. ends of the latter thereby providing an elongated slot-like opening between said strips for'vertical insertion or removal of a holder to a position within the frame with the margins thereof covered on opposite sides by the opposite sides of Ithe channels, a holder so positioned within said frame, said holder comprising spaced, opposed, substantially rectangular ,Y sheets Vof transparent material, and means securing said sheets together in spaced relation at a point spaced below the upper edges thereof, a display card removably positioned between said sheets above said means and provided with an upwardly extending portion projecting upwardly and outwardly of the frame and sheets and a second card belowsaid display card, and between said sheets, supported on the means that secures the sheets together, at least one of said sheets being formed with a notch along one of its lateral edges exposing a side of the said second card at said notch to facilitate gripping the said second card at the notch for withdrawing said second card laterally from between said sheets, said side members extending across the lateral end edges of said second card securing the card against lateral removal from between the sheets when the holder is in the frame and the opposite sides of the channel formed by one of said side members extending fully over said notch for protecting said second card at said notch andl for covering said notch from view.

5. A display card holder comprising a pair of spaced, opposed normally vertically disposed substantially rectangular sheets of imperforate transparent material arranged with their corresponding edges substantially parallel, a plurality of horizontally extending vertically spaced, parallel strips securing said sheets in spaced relation and arranged and adapted to provide horizontally extending, flat, open-ended passageways between the strips for insertion and removal of display cards from either of the opposite open ends of said passageways to between said sheets for viewing opposite sides of said card through the transparent sheets, one of said sheets having one of its lateral margins projecting laterally outwardly of the corresponding margins of the other sheet for supporting and guiding the advancing edges of said display cards to within the respective passageways and one of said sheets being formed along opposite lateral edges at the opposite ends of each of said passageways with laterally outwardly opening recesses for exposing the opposite ends of cards within said passageways for engagement by the fingers of an operator to facilitate the withdrawal of said cards from either of the lateral edges of the holder, and the opposite outer surfaces of said sheets respectively being planar with the said strips lying wholl7 within the area between said sheets whereby the said outer surfaces are smooth and free from projections that would normally tend to accumulate dirt and obstruct the cleaning of said surfaces.

6. In a construction as defined in claim 5, the uppermost strip of said plurality of strips being spaced below the upper edges of said sheets leaving the entire space between said sheets above said uppermost strip opening outwardly laterally and upwardly to permit lateral insertion of a card into said space in either opposite direction and vertical insertion of a card into said space to substantially iill said space with a portion of such card projecting upwardly above the upper edges of the sheets along the full width of said sheets between the opposite lateral edges thereof.

7. In a construction as dened in claim 5, the uppermost strip of said plurality of strips being spaced below the upper edges of said sheets leaving the entire space between said sheets above said uppermost strip opening outwardly laterally and upwardly to permit lateral or vertical insertion of a card into said space to substantially ll the same with a portion of such card projecting upwardly above the upper edges of the sheet along the full width of said sheets between the opposite lateral edges thereof, and a centrally open generally vertically disposed rectangular frame having its opposite vertical sides formed of channel strips with their open sides facing each other and a horizontal channel strip connecting between the lower ends of said vertical sides with its open side facing upwardly, said strips slidably receiving the opposite lateral margins of the holder and the bottom margin thereof with the bottoms of the channel strips forming the sides of the frame extending across the open ends of said passageways and the lateral openings of the space between the sheets at the upper ends thereof for supporting cards within said passageway and in said space in position between said sheets against lateral movement in opposite directions and a pair of horizontal strips respectively connecting at their ends with the upper ends of the oppositely disposed sides of the channel strips forming the sides of the frame,`

said pair of strips being spaced apart for vertical sliding of a card therebetween Y to within the space between the uppermost portions of said sheets with the lateral edges of such card disposed within the channels formed in the lateral sides of the frame, the sides of the channels forming the sides of said frame being of a width completely covering the said outwardly opening recesses for covering the said exposed opposite ends of cards adapted to be positioned within said passageways.

CHARLES D. MCCLAUGHRY. 

